Letting Go To Hold On
by SmileyHalo
Summary: Set after The Satan's Pit. You have to keep her safe, she must go back. She’s far too precious for you to lose, especially now you know, now you realise… A different outcome to the episode. Is it the end of Rose's adventures with the Doctor?
1. Chapter 1

He felt nothing but relief as he held her trembling body in his arms, stroking her blonde hair softly, whispering gently in her ear, just so glad she was still with him, still alive. But as soon as the beating of his hearts had slowed to their normal pace, he felt realisation hit him like a boulder. Being hit by that boulder hurt. It crushed his soul and broke his hearts, but, because there should always be an upside to these types of things, he also found that it appeared to have knocked some of something that was quite possibly sense in to him. As he held her trembling body in his arms and felt the wild beating of his hearts calm to gentle thuds in his chest, he realised the only way to prevent anything like this from happening again was to let her go, not in to another dangerous adventure but to her home, her world, her time. He never wanted to let her go again, not after this, but unless he wanted her to be truly lost forever, he would have to take her back.

The boulder tumbled onwards, leaving him shattered in its wake. He had never liked it when he had sense.

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"So then Doctor, where are we off to next?"

She grinned at him expectantly, hundred watt smile lighting up her face and causing his hearts to flutter madly in his chest. He couldn't look at her after that; giving a loud cough, he turned away from her to busy himself with the controls of the TARDIS.

"21st Century London" he muttered quickly.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that!" she said, playfully punching him on the arm, "You're gonna have to slow down, even the TARDIS can't translate your high speed mutterings sometimes!"

He turned slowly round to face her, gazing longingly in to her dark brown eyes, lost for a moment in their depths.

_You have to keep her safe, she must go back. She's far too precious for you to lose, especially now you know, now you realise…_

"21st Century London" he said, more slowly this time, voice lowered to a gentle whisper, soft and rich as velvet. If it was even possible, her grin became even wider.

_She looks so beautiful. Imagine how hard it will be without her. You **can't** leave her behind, what will you do with yourself when she's not here beside you?_

**_I have to leave her behind, I don't have a choice! _**

"You know Doctor, sometimes I think you're psychic! Mum's gonna be so pleased to see me. Thank you so much!"

She planted an enthusiastic kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush slightly.

_This isn't right; you have to make her understand._

"Rose, you might want to pack a bag or two before we arrive."

"You're not suggesting that we stay with my mum while we're there are you? Cos I'm not sure you're really ready to spend time with Jackie Tyler in close quarters just yet. Or perhaps you've got some other plan up your sleeve. Go on Doctor, share!"

He just looked at her for a minute, drinking in every last detail of her face; her lips that were as soft as rose petals (he had remembered that detail from when she, or rather Cassandra, had kissed him, and he thought of it every night before he went to sleep, it guaranteed him good dreams), her beautiful brown eyes that held him captivated every time she looked at him, and her wonderful, wonderful smile.

He took all of that in, then took a deep breath. It was best just to get it over with quickly, much like ripping of a plaster really.

"It's not easy to say this Rose, but-"

"Oh no, don't worry Doctor, I get it."

"You do?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, of course I do! But I want nothing but the best you understand. Nice hotel, decent room, then may be it could work." She winked mischievously at him, leaving him feeling dreadfully confused. He scratched his head perplexedly.

"What could work? I'm sorry Rose; I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah you do. Seduction. It's simple really."

She ran a finger lightly down one of his arms, sending shivers down his spine. He coughed nervously.

"Hang on a minute, you think I'm going to seduce you?"

"Oh come on Doctor, we both know it's what we want."

"Do we?" His tie felt awfully tight all of a sudden. He tugged at it sharply, desperate to let some more air in to his seemingly failing lungs. For a moment there was silence between them. Then she took a step closer to him and…

"You should see the look on your face, it's priceless! There's no need to worry Doctor," she said, teasingly stroking the cheek where her lipstick still lingered, "the only thing that will be seducing me tonight is a great big tub of chocolate ice cream. Sound good?"

"Sounds great" he said, voice distant, still thinking about the touch of her soft hand on his face and wondering if he really was doing the right thing.

"Is everything alright Doctor?"

"Yes of course it- well no, it's not actually." He turned away from her again, knowing he would give anything not to have to say it, to tell her he was letting her go.

"What's wrong?"

He felt a hand tenderly grasp his shoulder, guiding his body gently around so that they faced each other once more.

Her brown eyes gazed questioningly in to his, searching desperately for the reason for her Doctor's pain. He couldn't stand it, not for one moment longer.

"I'm taking you home Rose."

"Yeah I know you are."

"No you don't understand. I'm taking you back home again. For good."

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A/N: So I'm having another crack at Doctor Who fiction! This story found me last night, and I imagine wit will be at least another couple of chapters long. I hope I have the characterisation right here, I'm still not entirely used to writing these characters just yet. If you could take the time to leave me a review to let me know how I'm doing then please do because it will be very much appreciated!

Thanks for reading, I'll update as soon as I can

Until next time...

SmileyHalo


	2. Chapter 2

The smiled that had played deliciously about her soft lips froze as she heard her Doctor's words. When they began to sink in, her face fell and her smile disappeared entirely.

"I don't understand" she said slowly "why would you do that?"

Her voice was no longer that of Rose Tyler, strong, assertive young woman and fearless companion of the Doctor. It was small, unsure, childlike. In fact everything about her at that moment seemed childlike to him, not just the way she spoke, but the way she wrapped her arms protectively over her chest, stepping away from him slightly, with her head lowered as though she were afraid to look at him, just in case it might make him say something else to cause her pain.

But a part of the old Rose was still there, for despite her protective stance, she did stillmeet his gaze with her own, eyes glazed over with unshed tears that she refused, for the moment at least, to let fall.

"Why would you do that?" she repeated, voice louder this time, although it threatened to break under the strain caused by her distress. He looked at the pitiful figure she cut, and found himself robbed of the words of explanation that he owed her.

_My beautiful, brave Rose, if only I could make you understand how much this hurts me too._

He reached out a hand to touch her face, but she flinched as he drew near, a tiny flame of anger flickering dangerously inside her. It saddened him, hurt him, to know that he would never be able to touch her again, to hold her in his arms like he had done so many times before. He could see her delicate body start to tremble again, but this time there was nothing he could do, because this time he was the cause.

"You still haven't answered me Doctor. Why would you want to take me home? Aren't I good enough any more? Have you found someone better, Sarah Jane or someone, and now you don't have room for me any more, is that it? Answer me!"

Her anger grew with every word, and by the end she was practically yelling at him. Then, when he didn't offer her an immediate answer, she took a step back towards him, balled up her fists and began to pound them as hard as she could against his chest, tears finally falling. He just stood there, showing no sign of pain or emotion as she continued to hit him, over and over, until she was drained of her anger and left only with her overwhelming grief. She sunk to the floor, sobbing loudly as she rocked steadily back and forth, absolutely distraught.

"I'm sorry Rose," he said quietly "but I have to. I don't want to, but I have to, because-"

_I love you, and I can't risk losing you to Death, not because of me._

"-I promised your mum I would keep you safe and I honestly don't know if I can any more, not after what's just happened."

"Cos we both nearly got killed you mean? There's nothing new there Doctor, that happens all the time, why's this any different?"

She wiped furiously at her damp eyes as she spoke, but made no attempt to get back up on her feet.

"It's different this time because- oh, it just is, alright? I'm taking you home and that's all there is to it. I'm sorry Rose, but you can't fight me on this; I've made up my mind. You should go and pack; we both know how many pairs of shoes you have hoarded away in the closet. If you start now, you might be able to sort them all out before we arrive."

He tried to walk away from her, but a shaking hand shot out and grabbed his ankle before he could take more than a step away from her.

"I ain't going Doctor" she said, the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes defiant, "not until you tell me why you really want me to go. I know you're lying, 'cos you've never cared about anything my mum has said to you before. Besides, the stuff you said about my shoes is rubbish; I've only got a couple of pairs. I know for a fact that most of the shoes in that closet are yours, part of your 'uniform'. I'm another part of your uniform, but I won't let you chuck me like an old pair of shoes. I want an answer Doctor, an honest answer. Why are you taking me home?"

She looked up at him through reddened eyes, and he was captivated again, trapped under her spell.

_My God, she's even beautiful when she cries. You can tell her, you know you want to. Maybe then she'll understand why you have to do this. Just tell her how much you- _

_**NO! If I do that, I'm bound to lose her. I'm not taking that risk, not a chance, she's far too precious.**_

Returning to reality after his brief mental argument, he gently shook his foot from her grasp and walked steadily away from her, pausing at the doorway, through which lay his and Rose's rooms.

"I'm not arguing over this with you Rose because it won't make a difference. But don't think it's because I don't care, because I do, I really do. It's just time for a change of uniform, that's all."

He disappeared through the doorway and in to his room. She lost all hold of her fragile self control and began to cry again, louder this time, still sat on the floor of the TARDIS, distraught and alone. She didn't realise, couldn't realise, that she wasn't the only one to feel that way; the Doctor was just a far better actor, with more rehearsals under his belt.

_A new uniform? Really, that was uncalled for, far too cruel. You could have been gentler you know. Besides, there's nothing wrong with your uniform, you like the fit of this one. Perhaps you even could go so far as to say you love it. Rose Tyler, you love her, don't you?_

A single tear rolled down his cheek. Sighing heavily, he brushed it softly away.

_I love her. I love Rose Tyler. That's why I have to let her go._

A/N: I would love to know what you think of this chapter. I hope it's not too slow! Anyway, I'm still finding my feet here in terms of characterisation and things, so if you could spare the time to drop a review and let me know how I'm doing, it would be very much appreciated! All readers are appreciated, all reviews treasured, so if you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please do let me know and I'l get back to you as soon as I can.

Until next time...

SmileyHalo


	3. Chapter 3

It took a while for her to find the strength in her exhausted body to be able to stand, but eventually, when the river of tears coursing down her cheeks finally began to dry up, and teardrops no longer shone in her eyes like liquid crystal, she pulled herself shakily off the floor and back on to her feet. She was still upset, as she had every right to be, but she knew that nothing more than sore, reddened eyes and a streaming nose would be achieved if all she did was sit and cry whilst she waited to be dragged home by the Doctor like a disobedient child. No, she couldn't do that; she wouldn't let him take away her new life full of adventure just to send her back to the estate that was no longer home. She was going to fight for her place on board the TARDIS, on board her home, and she was going to stay, wanted or not.

As far as she could see, she had two options. The first was to lock herself in her room and refuse to come out until he promised she could stay.

_Not very practical, _she thought to herself, _he can sit and wait for millennia for me to come out, no matter how many regenerations it takes. I can't. Not a fair fight at all. Besides, I doubt I could get enough food together to do that._

The only other option she had was to talk to him, find out why he had suddenly made this decision and see if there was anything she could do to change his mind.

_But you know how stubborn he is, that hasn't changed a bit. He's good at keeping secrets too. What do you really know about him after all? He hasn't told you much, but you know he's the only one left. May be that's why he means so much to you, your Doctor, the only one left, cos you like the idea that you can keep him safe, like a guardian angel or something. It makes you feel special doesn't it? You feel like more than just Rose Tyler, the girl from the Powell estate. He makes you feel wanted, makes you feel like you belong, and you like that feeling. Except he doesn't want you any more does he? For some reason he wants rid._

She remembered then the look he had in his eyes when he had told her he was taking her home. His chocolate brown eyes, normally so full of warmth and feeling, had been cold as steel, devoid of all emotion. Not like the Doctor at all really. He had put the barriers up and withdrawn, determined not to give her truth or justification for his actions. There must have been a very important reason for that, one that she didn't quite understand yet. But she would. Her Doctor was hurting, and she wanted to know why. She wasn't going to let him push her away like he did everyone else. She wouldn't let him go without a fight; there was no way in hell that she would ever let him believe that he was alone. He had her now, his Rose, his companion. His, always.

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The Doctor paced up and down the length of his room, beginning, in his anxiety, to wear a hole in his carpet. _Easily fixed, _he thought, as he continued to count how many seconds it had been since he had last heard a sound from Rose. Her sobs, which had echoed like some kind of grotesque melody around the TARDIS, had stopped about ten minutes ago. Since then, silence. It was making him edgy. He knew she hadn't done anything to the TARDIS, he would have felt it if she had. No, he was more worried about what she may have done to herself, or what she might now be planning to do to him.

"Deep breaths now Doctor," he said aloud to himself, "how much damage can one human girl really do to you? Actually, no it's probably best not to think about that, just keep counting, 667 TARDIS, 668 TARDIS, 669 TARDIS- oh, hello Rose, what can I do for you? Need a hand with all your shoes?"

Rose stood silently in the doorway, just watching him. There was no need for him to turn around yet; he could feel the intensity of her stare in the way that the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle, and he had no desire to look in to those eyes while they still held such passionate fury in them, because if he did, he would change his mind in an instant.

"You know what I want Doctor" she said calmly.

"I thought you said you were joking about me seducing you? Really Rose, make up your mind will you? I know everyone says you should play hard to get, but honestly, this is getting ridiculous!"

He began to laugh, but stopped abruptly when he realised how un-amused his companion was.

"Not the right time for a joke then I guess? No? Okay then! So, what do you want?"

"Some honesty for one thing Doctor. I want to know what you're feeling, what's wrong with you."

"You want me to tell you, honestly, how I'm feeling right now?"

"Yeah, that's all I want Doctor."

He turned to face her, expression grave.

"Scared" he said simply.

That was the last thing she had been expecting, and it must have showed.

"You might want to close your mouth before you end up swallowing a fly Rose. It's quite simple really. You've gone from almost hysterical to deathly calm in little over ten minutes, and I for one find that slightly unnerving. There, I've told you how I'm feeling now. Was there anything else?"

"No Doctor, that was all. I guess I'd better go and pack."

She turned away from him and was almost out of earshot when he called out to her.

"Rose? I just thought of another feeling I'm experiencing right now."

"What's that then?" she said, with the merest hint of annoyance in her voice. When would he ever take her seriously?

"I think its love," he said, scratching his head for a moment before declaring loudly, "yes it is love, definitely love. I love you Rose Tyler!"

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A/N: How was it then? Did you like? Please, if you did, just drop me a review! I love to hear from you, and I will respond to any comments, questions or suggestions you have for me. Don't sit in silence, make a writer happy today!

Until next time…..

SmileyHalo


	4. Chapter 4

She stopped dead, body immediately jerking round so that they stood facing one another, barely ten feet apart. Her jaw had practically dropped to the floor, and the Doctor was just about to make another comment about fly catching when she recovered herself and closed it again. It didn't stay closed for long though.

"What did you just say Doctor?"

"Who, me?" he said, looking the picture of innocence, "I didn't say anything. The stresses of packing eh? Must really be getting to you if you've started hearing things. Why not take a break for a bit, have a nice cup of tea? I'm sure your shoes won't object to staying in the closet a bit longer."

She took a couple of tentative steps towards him, peering closely at his face as though trying to read her thoughts. He tugged nervously at his tie. He hated being looked at like that; it made him feel distinctly underdressed.

"Did you just say you love me Doctor?"

"You didn't believe the fib about hearing things then? Shame, I thought it was quite good myself."

He glanced hastily around the room as though he was looking for something, although Rose had no idea what it was. She was just about to ask when-

"There's no one else in the room with us either" he muttered "Typical! Oh well then, the truth it is I guess. I put my hands up Miss Tyler; I did just say I love you. Now, off you go, we both have plenty to do. You still haven't sorted your shoes, and I need to set the TARDIS on course for London, 2006."

Rose stood right in the doorway as he tried to make his way through, blocking off his only exit.

"Rose, would you be so good as to move please? I'm afraid I can't get through with you stood there, and you really do need to see to your shoes you know."

"Will you stop going on about my blooming shoes! I don't care about my shoes, you can throw them out for all I care, I'll go barefoot-"

"Not a good idea, there's all sorts on those pavements round your area. Would hate to think what you might end up catching, doing that."

"DOCTOR!"

He clutched his hands to his ears, which were ringing, so loud was Rose's shout.

"That's much better" she said, taking a firm hold of his shoulder and steering him none too gently back over to his bed, "silence. Keep it like that for a few minutes, will you? It's my turn to talk now, and you're gonna listen to me, alright?"

He sunk heavily back down on to the bed, nodding furiously.

"Right, okay then…" she took a deep breath, as though steeling herself up for something she was going to find particularly difficult. She paced up and down in front of him, clenching and unclenching her shaking fists. He sat watching her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. No words came out.

"Rose?" he questioned tentatively after a few minutes of almost unbearable silence.

"The thing is Doctor; I don't want you to be lonely any more. That's why you can forget taking me home. I'm not leaving you here alone, thinking that there's no one in this universe that can love you, because I do. I can't lose you and I won't. You're my Doctor, no one else's, ever. There, I've said it."

It was his turn to impersonate a goldfish. He really should have expected that kind of response from her, but he hadn't. He had never expected anyone to tell him that they loved him. He took it as a given that he was meant to remain unloved. He had no idea how to respond to that. He finally settled on a quiet "oh."

"Is that all you want to say Doctor? I tell you I love you, and all you can say is oh? What does that mean, oh?"

He ran his fingers roughly through his hair, and Rose knew he was on edge. He only did that when he was nervous, or having to think. She didn't know what there was to think about. It was simple really; she loved him, he loved her. Simple.

"Could you give me some time please Rose?" he asked quietly, pleadingly, "I need to figure some things out, alone, if you wouldn't mind."

She had never heard him speak like that before. It startled her, but only for a moment.

"Of course Doctor. You still want me to pack?"

"No Rose, you can leave that for now. I don't think I'll be taking you back just yet."

She managed to maintain her serious expression, but inside she was dancing. She just wished he was too. But then she remembered her Doctor didn't dance.

"You take as much time as you need. I'll be in the kitchen making a cuppa if you want me, alright?"

She leant over and pressed her lips lightly against his cheek, just for a moment. Then she was gone, and he was alone with only the demons in his head for company.

_Can she really love you Doctor, or is she confusing love for pity? I would pity you if I were her. You're the only one left. She can never take away your loneliness can she? Pitiful creature aren't you?_

"I think that's enough time alone for now" he said brightly to the room at large, pulling himself to his feet.

"Rose!" he called, "can you make that two teas please?"

A/N: I have been totally overwhelmed by the response to this story, so thank you all. I hope you continue to enjoy, please let me know what you're thinking. This chapter is a tad shorter than the others, but I wanted to cut it off where it is because I didn't want to get in to the heavy stuff so near the end of the chapter. It's been hinted at in the Doctor's thoughts at the end, but there will be more angst (and romance of course) to come!

Hope to hear from you, thanks for reading!

Until next time……….

SmileyHalo


	5. Chapter 5

"You know Rose," the Doctor said as he sat on a chair in the kitchen five minutes later, sipping slowly on the mug of sweet tea Rose had just handed him, "I never understood what the fascination was between you English humans and tea! I mean, it doesn't matter what the crisis is, you always seem to turn first and foremost to tea, like you think it has magical healing properties or something."

"That's cos it does Doctor. You were looking far too pale when you came in here a few minutes ago, but you're starting to get a bit of colour back in your cheeks now you're drinking that. You want to tell me what was wrong?"

He looked deep in to her eyes, and all he saw was love and concern. No pity, none at all.

_You can trust her you know. She doesn't pity you, she cares about you. Why not trust her, let her in?_

_**I do trust her, I've always trusted her. I just don't know if I can trust myself. If she sees me for who I am, she'll change her mind in a second. I can't risk that, not now I know she loves me too.**_

_You're forgetting, Reinette saw you for who you were, and she still loved you. What happened to the doorstop, did you kick it away again? _

"Doctor? Are you alright? You've gone all pale again."

"I'm so sorry Rose" he said, reaching out and tenderly stroking her face with a shaking hand. "I don't think I can find the doorstop again. I'm so sorry!"

Before she could do anything, he was gone, dashing off to hide in his room, but this time the door was locked, and there was no way she could get in.

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She knocked softly on his door.

"Doctor? Doctor please, just open the door, will you? You don't have to talk, don't have to do a thing. I just want to know you're alright, sit with you for a bit or something. Please?"

He had been locked inside his room for almost an hour now and so far, despite all of Rose's pleas, he had not showed any signs of wanting to come out.

"Doctor please, I want to help." A stray tear rolled down her cheek; she brushed it fiercely away. To her surprise she heard footsteps approaching, then a soft thud as the Doctor sat down heavily on the floor on the other side of the door.

"You can't help me Rose," he said quietly, "It's not you-"

"It's me, right?" Anger flickered inside of her again, but she forced herself to keep her voice even. "I've lost count of the amount of times I heard that line back home, and I'm telling you now, I didn't travel thousands of miles, across outer space and time, to hear that rubbish from you too."

He leant his head carefully against the solid metal door.

"You don't understand do you Rose?" he said wearily, " I'm not trying to feed you some kind of line to get rid of you, I'm trying to explain to you why I'm acting like a class A idiot over all of this. Not that I am a class A idiot you understand, I'm far too intelligent for that."

"Yeah, well you ain't acting like it right now" she said sulkily.

Silence.

_Oh hell! I've blown it now haven't I? He's trying to talk to me and I throw it back in his face by making stupid comments like that. Rose Tyler, you're so thick sometimes!_

She slapped her hand hard to her forehead in frustration, and immediately cried out in pain.

"Ow!"

"Rose, what was that?" he asked sharply, unable to disguise the anxiety in his voice.

_It's happening already, see? She's hurting already, and you haven't even kissed her yet! Imagine what might happen if you get in a relationship with her, a proper one. It's only going to get worse, isn't it? And you already know how it's going to end…_

"It's alright Doctor!" she said quickly, not failing to pick up on the change in his voice, "I just banged my head, that's all!"

He breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"That's okay then. Not that I'm glad you did that or anything-"

"I'm sorry Doctor; I shouldn't have said that about you being an idiot. I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't Rose, it's alright. I'm sorry too."

"What for?" she asked cautiously. She was afraid if she pushed him too hard, he would snap and withdraw again, but she desperately wanted him to let her in, talk to her about whatever it was that was bothering him.

"I'm just sorry, alright? I'm sorry for everything I've put you through, because it's all going to go to waste. I love you, more than you can ever know Rose Tyler, but I know that the only way I can hold on to you is by letting you go."

"I don't understand Doctor. What do you mean, let me go? I thought you said you weren't taking me home?"

"I don't know Rose. I might have to. The thing you have to understand Rose is that if I keep you here with me, let myself love you, then I'm going to lose you, because that's the way this universe works. If you stay with me Rose, then you will die, just like everyone else I've ever loved. I won't let that happen, not to you. You're far too precious. I would be lonely forever if it meant I could save you."

It was heartbreaking to hear him, so vulnerable, broken. She wouldn't let him keep her from his side, not for a moment longer. She had to be with him. She pulled herself determinedly up from the floor where she had been sitting and on to her feet, ready to act.

"I'm going to die eventually Doctor, whether you take me back or not. That's just the way life works. You ain't shutting me out any longer, not cos of that. Open the door, else I'll just have to let myself in!"

"Rose, don't be silly. You don't have any kind of key, and this door is solid metal, so you can't try and break it down."

"Well then, why not just open the door? Make things easier for us both."

"No" he said simply.

"Fine then! I'll let myself in."

She took a few steps back, so that there was enough space for her to get a good run at the door. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins; she was unstoppable.

"Rose, don't! You'll break something, and it won't be this door."

"It's your choice Doctor, not mine. But I will get in that room, one way or another, metal or no metal. You're not going to be alone one minute longer!"

It all happened very quickly. One moment she was running at the closed door, ready to hurl herself at it, and the next she was sprawled on top of the Doctor on his bedroom floor, him having flung the door wide open just as she was about to hit it.

"Thank you Doctor" she whispered gently, looking deep in to his soft, chocolate brown eyes.

"No problem Rose. I mean, I'm not sure how the TARDIS would deal with a human medical-"

He was silenced at the moment as her lips found his, lips soft as rose petals.

_Just as I remembered them, God bless strawberry lip balm! Rose Tyler, I love you._

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A/N: I am thrilled by the response I have had to this story, so thank you all. I hope you continue to enjoy, please let me know what you're thinking.

**Did the kiss work? Should I end here, or would you like some more? It can easily be arranged if you would!**

Any comments questions or suggestions then just let me know and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

By the way, in case you are confused, the whole thing about the doorstop is a reference to my other Doctor Who fic, cunningly entitled "Doorstop." It's not essential to this fic, but you may like to check it out of you haven't done so already!

Hope to hear from you, thanks for reading!

Until Next Time…..

SmileyHalo


	6. Chapter 6

It was a moment of absolute perfection. There she was, laid in his arms, sleeping like an angel. He couldn't believe it was real, he had to be dreaming.

"Rose, sweetheart," he whispered, shaking her shoulders gently, "Rose? Can you wake up for me?"

The box of chocolates they had been eating while they had watched Gone with the Wind together earlier that afternoon fell from her lap on to the floor and scattered. Groaning, Rose slowly prised her eyes open.

"What's wrong?" she asked drowsily.

"I need you to pinch me," he said seriously. "This is very important Rose. I need you to pinch me."

"You woke me for that? I'm going back to sleep, you're being weird again you know, you have to stop doing this."

She turned over so that he could no longer see her face, closing her eyes again as she did so, a soft smile playing about her lips.

"That's alright; you need your beauty sleep after all. I'll do it myself."

His words had near enough the right effect. She didn't exactly pinch him, but the weak slap on his arm was enough for him to be able to tell that he definitely wasn't dreaming.

"Well I suppose I was asking for that wasn't I?"

He was talking to himself, because she certainly wasn't listening any more. Exhausted, she had fallen straight back to sleep again. He was stuck on the sofa, with her warm weight resting against him, but he wasn't about to complain. He loved every moment that she was in his arms, couldn't believe that there was a time little more than a month ago when he was willing to give the chance of it up for good.

It had been difficult at first as he struggled to get past the barriers that surrounded his hearts, but she was there, every single step of the way, and eventually they had broken through them, together. When he had stumbled along the way, doubting himself as the demons of his past had resurfaced, she was there to reach out a hand and pull him back up with a reassuring embrace or a whispered 'I love you.' Words could not express how eternally grateful he was for that, but the affection and love he showed her in return was more than enough to make her understand that he would never let her go. She was his to hold on to, for good.

Yawning widely, he reached behind him for the oversized woollen throw he had earlier tossed on to the arm of the sofa and pulled it over them both carefully so as not to disturb her, catching the delicious scent of her fruity shampoo as he did so. Content, he let his eyes fall shut and soon he too had drifted off to sleep.

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A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this conclusion to Letting Go To Hold On. I know it's incredibly short, but I have had such a wonderful response to the whole story that I felt it would be nice to give you guys the conclusion you deserve, to show you that in my world they stick together forever (AUish I know!)

**DoctorWhoForever: Thanks for giving me the final nudge I needed to write this.**

**SN: Same goes. Thank you.**

Please, make a writer happy today, review!

SmileyHalo


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